My Loosing Game

Balancing Work and School

I finished school earlier than usual, and with two hours left before my part-time job at the cafe, I decided to explore the town. While walking, I noticed a sign saying they were hiring part-timers. The catch—it was for a night bar, which didn't seem safe for me, so I moved on.

But then, I thought about the extra $100 it could bring in, and I considered giving it a shot, just for a month.

I went back to the bar, took a deep breath, and entered.

Inside, it was dimly lit with some music playing, not too crowded. I approached the manager and inquired about the part-time job. Surprisingly, since not many young girls applied for a job in a night bar, he offered me the position right away. The pay was significantly higher—twice as much as my cafe job.

Excited about the extra income, I decided to start working at the night bar from tonight. The only challenge was that my shift would end after midnight at 3 AM, and I needed to be up by 7 AM the next morning. This meant I'd only get around 3 to 4 hours of sleep. Despite this, I convinced myself that I could manage somehow.

After finishing my café shift, I had dinner and headed to the night bar for my first day. The manager seemed decent, and I was told to stand at the counter and serve. Two other guys, Jack and Michael, were there with me. They taught me how to handle customers starting to drink and how to act when they're drunk. I was a bit nervous, but Jack and Michael helped calm my nerves a lot. With their guidance, my first day at the night bar went smoothly.

…….

My phone's alarm had been ringing for who knows how long. I turned off the alarm again while half-asleep and went back to sleep. After some time, the alarm started ringing again.

I opened one eye in my sleep and saw the time on the clock. It was already eight twenty in the dreadful morning. The lecture had started in my high school twenty minutes ago, and I was still in my bed.

Was this going to be my routine? Could I manage this chaotic juggle of late-night shifts and early morning classes?

I already missed my first maths lecture, and the second lecture was Mr. Mathews' biology class.

I’m dead. Screw my life…

Somehow, I had to get to high school before his lecture started.

So, I somehow got ready in the next 15 minutes and rushed outside.

It was just a few minutes left for his lecture to start, and I was sprinting towards the high school's main door, lost in a hurry to get to the classroom.

And then, out of nowhere, I collided with someone. I was about to fall, but he caught me. Both his hands held onto my back, and both of mine were on his broad chest. The papers he had in his hands were flying around in the air. But neither he nor I cared.

I lifted my gaze to his face; his deep blue eyes were staring at me intensely.

It was none other than Mr. Mathews. It felt like time froze for me; my heart was racing fast.

a strong, chiselled jawline that commands my attention, paired with cheekbones that create a perfect symmetry.

His eyes are captivating; they hold stories untold, drawing me in with their depth and intensity,

with a magnetic presence that pulled me effortlessly.

The scent of his body was giving me a different kind of intoxication.

The sound of the first lecture end bell ended the moment we were sharing, bringing us back to reality.

Mr. Mathews let go of me, and I stood up straight. His papers were all over the floor.

"Sorry, Professor. I was in a hurry," I quickly apologised.

"Look Miss Liyora, these are your eyes, they are not a showpiece, use them sometime, okay?

Can't you walk properly and see where you're going? Look at this mess,"

scolded Mr. Matthew, pointing to the scattered papers on the floor.

Without wasting any time, I gathered all the papers and handed them to him. I avoided looking at him again.

He muttered, "What a terrible start to the day, all because of you," and left abruptly.

This rudeness from him is nothing new to me; maybe I'm just used to it by now.

That's why the impact of his rudeness doesn't affect me. If there was another girl in my place,

someone with a weaker heart, she would probably be crying by now.

With that thought in my mind, I headed to the classroom.

I had already reached the class; all the students had taken their seats.

Mr. Mathew was five minutes late, and I was the reason, which nobody knew. He took attendance and started the lecture.

My prayers for a reprieve went unanswered.

Right in the middle of our Biology class, my eyelids felt as if they were burdened with a strange weight, like carrying around a 10-kg load. No matter how hard I tried, the irresistible pull of sleep became too much to resist.

"Miss Liyora." Mr. Matthew' stern voice abruptly jolted me back to the present.

"Yes, yes, Professor," I mumbled, still half in a daze.

He continued with authority, "Get up right now and go to the washroom and wash your face. This is my class, not your bedroom. Sleeping is not allowed.”

Complying with his stern directive, I rose from my seat and shuffled out of the classroom, heading towards the washroom.

When I returned, Mr. Matthew said, "You have detention today, so see me after school." I made sure I wouldn't get in trouble again. I focused hard on the lesson, taking good notes to avoid more detention.

As the day went on, I felt my body getting weaker. I couldn't sleep well the night before, and it made me exhausted. The lectures finished before lunch, but instead of grabbing a meal, I ended up dozing off for the entire break in class.

The day ended with me feeling drained. My job at the bar during the night was taking a toll on me. It made it tough to pay attention during the lectures, and I struggled to focus.

I've made a plan, though. Once I save up $100, I'm going to quit that job right away. But until I reach that goal, I'll have to find a way to handle it all somehow.

"Good luck, Liyora," Cristina said to me. I looked at her, puzzled.

"Don't you have detention with Mr. Matthew now?"

"Oh, right, I almost forgot..."

Aware that I had to face that Monster Mr. Matthew, I bid goodbye to Cristina and reluctantly headed to his office.